The primitive ungulates

Abstract

A number of archaic, plant-eating ungulates appeared in the Palaeocene, flourished in both the Old World and the New and then largely became extinct by the end of the Pliocene. However, a few of their relations still exist one of which is the aardvark or Cape anteater. This animal represents a very ancient independent offshoot from the protungulate stock and, apart from its specialised mode of feeding, retains unchanged many of the features present in the early eutherians.